Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008 The PULP HUGE this month: Contents Stu’s Page 3

February 19th meeting: Bot Nets 4

Look Ma, No Hands 7

Open Discussion New Gadgets for 8 Bring a topic or question, we’ll discuss it. 2008 Calendar 10 See you there!

East Hartford Public Library Main St. & Central Ave., East Hartford, CT. Q&A Session: 6:30PM–7:15PM Meeting starts at: 7:15PM

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 1 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008

The PULP is published monthly by and for members of the Hartford User Group MEETING LOCATIONS Exchange, Inc. (HUGE). HUGE is a nonprofit organization whose aim is to provide an exchange of information between users of personal computers. The East Hartford Public Library PULP is not in any way affiliated with any computer manufacturer or software Main & Central Avenue company. Original, uncopyrighted articles appearing in the PULP may be in the Lion’s Room(downstairs) reproduced without prior permission by other nonprofit groups. Please give credit to the author and the PULP, and send a copy to HUGE. The opinions and views herein Wethersfield Public Library are those of the authors and not necessarily those of HUGE. Damages caused by 500 Silas Deane Hwy., use or abuse of information appearing in the PULP are the sole responsibility of the Wethersfield, CT user of the information. We reserve the right to edit or reject any articles submitted for publication in the PULP. Trademarks used in this publication belong to the respective owners of those trademarks. So Long, Fare Well…

This will be my final newsletter as editor of the If someone does pick up the Pulp, I hope that Pulp. It appears that 3 years is about my limit some of you, and there aren’t many left compared before events conspire to not allow me the time to to where our membership was 10 years ago, will do a quality job at this. Last time I was the editor help out by contributing articles for use in the was from June of 1989 to October 1991, but that newsletter. While we do get some very good, was preceded by at least 8 months of doing well–written articles from the APCUG service, some of the editing and layout while I it’s still nice to have some material from the held the official title of “Publisher”. members of the club. please, PLEASE Of course, based on that record, I think about that. feel that Maris should be awarded I’d like to, once again, thank those sainthood for being the editor who have contributed articles, from November 1991 through photos, and ideas to the Pulp over December 2005! I guess that the years. Special thanks, again, to I’m a comparative lightweight Stu Rabinowitz, who holds all based on that performance. the records for articles Still, situations change and, you contributed. AS far back as 1988, never know, I could be back Stu was providing a full page for someday. the Pulp and his Disk Librarian, Beagle Buddy and Disk–of–the– There is a possible, late–breaking, offer from Month submissions go back even further. Thanks someone who might be willing to take over and again, Stu. continue to produce the Pulp, but I’m going to give that person a few more weeks to consider it and not break any news here. I guess you’ll find Best wishes to all… out next month… Pat Teevan

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 2 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008 A Little Computer Quiz by Stuart Rabinowitz

February Quiz January Quiz Answers

1 The Bulova Accutron was the first consumer The trivia and minutiae of the computer related digital watch, when was it first sold? world. The answers will appear next month or you can submit an answer sheet at the General A The Accutron was first sold in October, 1960 Meeting. Good Luck. 2 The early foundation of wired networks was coaxial cable, who invented it? 1 There are approximately 120 buildings on the A Herman Andrew Affel and Lloyd Espenschied Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA and they are numbered starting at 1 (which was the first 3 Who were they working for? building), except one building (& number) is A AT&T Bell Labs missing. Which one? 4 When was coaxial cable invented? 2 I’m sure many of you know that the Osborne I was the first commercially available portable A It was invented in 1929 computer, but who developed the first prototype? 5 When was it first used commercially? 3 The Osborne was the first (trans)portable A It was first commercially used in 1940 and a computer, but what was the first computer to be year later, AT&T used it to establish a consider (and be labeled) as a laptop? transmission system between Minneapolis and Steven's Point, Wis., that could carry 480 4 One of the many games that can be played on a telephone conversations and one television computer is chess, so when and where was the program. first computer chess program developed? 6 I’m (fairly) sure that many of you have heard of 5 That first chess program actually only ran 3 the card games ‘fizzbin’ and ‘sabacc’, (ok I times, what was its record? know that they are fictional games from Star Trek & Star Wars) but how about ‘Double 6 Who wrote it? Fanucci’. What work of fiction does it come from? A It appeared in the Zork game series from Infocon. In order to advance in Zork Zero you had to win a game.

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 3 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008 Bot-Nets by Brian K. Lewis, Ph.D. bwsail at yahoo.com www.spcug.org

Obtained om APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Keeping your computer safe with a botnet is the sending of initiating efforts to fight it or while connected to the Internet spam. The controller can easily examine it". A DDoS attack is a is becoming more and more have 100,000 computers in its "distributed denial of service" difficult. The "attackers" are network. So the botmaster will which can bring down a becoming more sophisticated contract to send out one million computer system or network by and are sharing more ways to get e-mail messages. The network overwhelming it with messages. their software into your can then send ten messages from A very large volume of computer. Business Week each of the compromised messages are sent by the botnet recently ran an article on the computers. With the constant in a very short period of time. It major security problems connection to the Internet using is estimated that the Storm net expected in 2008. Unfortunately, cable or DSL the computer controls over one million most of them arrived long before owner will have no idea that his/ computers. This would make it the new year started. We have her computer has been the the most powerful been warned for years that it was source for ten spam messages. supercomputer in the world, possible to recruit unprotected Now you might say that the idea exceeding the computing power computers into networks that that someone can control of all previous computers. could be controlled by an 100,000 computers in a botnet is People frequently wonder why external source. This recruitment ridiculous. However, as of anyone would want to produce network problem has gotten October 2007 a major Internet viruses, worms and other kinds much worse over the past few security service had the IP of Internet attacks. Years ago it years. It is estimated that 7% of addresses of over 12 million was primarily because "they the computers connected to the computers that were infected could do it". Today, it has Internet have been infected with with bot software. There is also become a real source of financial a Botnet program. So what is a a newer threat called the Storm gain. Let's take a look at one "Botnet"? Worm botnet that has infected financial resource created by A robot or "bot" software millions of computers just this controllers of botnets. On many program allows a computer to be year. In addition to its computer web pages you find ads of remotely controlled without the recruiting ability, it has built-in various types that are sponsored knowledge of the computer's defenses that are preventing by Google. When these ads are owner. When you have a number security services from analyzing clicked, the advertiser pays of "bot" controlled computers it it. In an E-Week article it was Google who, in turn, pays the is referred to as a "botnet". All noted that ".. Storm worm is owner of a web page, usually of the computers in the botnet sending DDoS attacks to not 80% of the fee. So the botmaster carry out commands issued by only the researchers looking into sets up a web page and contracts the network controller. Just one it but to anybody on their subnet, with Google to display ads. example of what can be done within 5 seconds of (their) Then, using the botnet, sends

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 4 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008 commands to the computers in its compromised computer can also pages, instant messaging, social net to click on the ads. This be used as a base for finding contact web sites are all used by results in payments to the other unprotected computers to bot malware as a means of botmaster. So even with a small be recruited into the net. Another collecting information and botnet of say 5-10,000 consider-ation is that the largest linking to compromised computers, the botmaster can number of computers are those in computers. easily obtain $15,000-$20,000 the hands of private individuals. Many times the actions of a per month in fraudulent So you may be a major part of computer user are governed by payments. When you consider the problem if your computer is visual clues. An attacker may that the known botnets all have infected by a bot. take advantage of this by more than 100,000 compromised Once a computer has been providing false visual clues on a systems, you get a better idea of compromised, the bot software is web page or a pop-up. If the the scale of the fraud involved. usually designed to hide and dialog box or pop-up is intrusive This type of click fraud has been protect itself. For example it will the user may click estimated to make up 5-20% of search for and disable any other inappropriately just to get rid of the payments made by search malware located on the computer the intruder. This can lead to the companies. or its associated network. It may download of a bot. Another use of large botnets is also hide itself by means of a So how do you know if you've extortion. The botmaster can rootkit. It may also block updates been infected? The easiest way to send an e-mail to a corporation of any anti-virus or anti-spyware tell is related to how you have warning that a DDoS will take software. It may even fake the been protecting your computer place at a specific time unless a process so the user believes that from infection. Do you have all payment is made. As I mentioned an update has taken place. One of of the following? earlier, spam e-mail contracts are the most common modifications also a source of revenue for involves changes to the Windows botmasters. As these networks host file or by changing the a. hardware firewall. proliferate, the sale of the IP location of the host file and addresses of robotically altering the registry. b. software firewall that checks controlled computers is also both incoming and outgoing There are also some traps on the messages. favored as an income source. Internet that can lead a user to So far it would appear that the download bot (Trojan) software c. anti-virus software that is only persons affected by botnets without realizing it. Phishing e- updated at least daily. would be corporations. However, mail can lead to web pages that if your computer is infected, have automatic download links d. anti-spyware software that you everything you do can be for bot software. Web pages can either run weekly or that runs reported to the botmaster. Bots be hijacked and links added to in RAM constantly. can incorporate "keylogger" lead the viewer to web sites that e. keep your Windows software software. That will record contain "free" software links that patches up to date. keystrokes, especially any related are actually hidden bot programs. to passwords, user names or Bot programs are incorporating If you don't use any of these other desirable information. "social engineering" functions safety mechanisms, then your Another function of bot software which serve to entice users to machine is almost 100% is screen capture. It can record an unknowingly download malware. guaranteed to be compromised. entire screen and transmit the People are the weakest link in the Even if you have taken all of data to the botmaster. A security chain. E-mail, web these precautions, you can still be

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 5 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008 infected. However, the most of commands. One place you can to find and disassemble the new effective mechanism for dealing check your computers port and malware before they can devise with bots is to prevent their its invisibility on the Internet is the protection against it. So it is getting into your computer. So www.GRC.com. The Gibson up to the user to keep the security you have to keep the software up Research site provides a free port software as current as possible to to date and you have to use it. scan and much good information reduce the chances of infection. Ideally, your firewall hardware/ on interpreting the findings as Like it or not, security on the software combination should well as how to protect your Internet is a never ending battle. keep you invisible on the system. Dr. Lewis is a former university Internet. Bot programs are Ideally the anti-virus and anti- and medical school professor of constantly searching for spyware software would be able physiology. He has been working unprotected computers with open to find and remove any bot with personal computers for over ports. You may not be aware that software that made its way onto thirty years, developing software your computer has over 64,000 your computer. However, this and assembling systems. port that can be used for software needs to know the This article has been provided to communication. The most "signature" of the malware in APCUG by the author solely for common usage are the ports in order to identify it. So the publication by APCUG member the lower range, under 1,024. producers of the malware are groups. All other uses require the However, some bots use high end always a step ahead of the good permission of the author (see e-mail ports (>60,000) for transmission guys. The security services have address above).

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 6 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008

Look Ma No Hands By Bruce Jacobs, Phoenix PCUG newsletter editor www.phoenixpcug.org editor(at)pcug.org

Obtained om APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

This article was not typed. I those words are to be part of my may be my fault. I find that I can dictated it using the speech document. As time goes on, you type up an article by hand and recognition feature in Windows learn to pause before speaking a maintain enough control so that Vista Ultimate. command. So in the above in the end I have something I have been using this feature on example of “please save me”, I coherent. When I just speak out and off for certain applications would say the words altogether what I want it does not always for a while and it has its good relatively quickly in order to make sense. I spend way too points and its bad points. enter them in my document. If I much time revising it. wanted to add the word "please" One of the disadvantages is that The intent of the software is to to my document then save the allow the user to speak words you need to spend a little bit of document, I would speak the time training the voice into the computer and for the word "please", then pause for a computer to recognize those recognition system. The system few seconds, then save the word works best when you are running words, understand that some of " save." This would bring up the them are commands, and also a very simple application such as save dialog box and I could WordPad or Notepad. It can even understand that some of them are continue as if it was a command. input to programs. In other be used to some extent in words, when I say the words As far as the good points are Microsoft Word. However when “please save me”, the computer concerned: If I'm working off using an application such as must decide whether to add the printed list or when I know for PowerPoint, the program spends words to the document I am sure what I want to say clearly, it so much time trying to figure out editing as if I had typed them, or can be a much faster way of what possible commands you add the word “please” to the inputting text than for me to type might be wanting to perform and document, and then bring up the it. Some of that is due to my not enough time actually save dialog box to save the typing speed being somwhat realizing that you are trying to document with the name “me”. slow. I am a faster typist then enter words. most hunt and peck folks, but I Another problem is homonyms. The program that is attempting to would never be able to keep a job do this has two major hurdles to These are words that sound the as a secretary. It is also much same but they have different conquer. It has to recognize the better at spelling than I am. spoken words correctly. This is meanings in English except for helped by the training exercises. If I don't know what I'm going to the possibility of some contextual But it has its limitations. say in advance the program does clues. There is no way for the not facilitate me speaking what I speech recognition software to It must also understand "in want to say and then know whether I want "2", "two", context" which of those words recomposing it later. Some of this are commands and which of Continues on page 9…

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 7 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008

New Gadgets for 2008 by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS.com www.compukiss.com sberger(at)compukiss.com

Obtained om APCUG with the author's permission for publication by APCUG member groups.

Every year my husband and I marvelous. iRobot also have released a breakthrough product. attend the Consumer Electronic robotic vacuum cleaners and floor Their new inkless printer is made (CES) in Las Vegas to see the scrubbers. for printing pictures from a cell latest and greatest high tech Although we have been hearing phone or digital camera. Not only gadgets. This year didn't about wireless technologies for does the printer use Bluetooth disappoint. We found everything what seems to be ions, this year wireless technology, but it uses from a Leggett & Platt's $20,000 some of that wireless technology special paper that is embedded Starry Night bed with an HDTV became mainstream. Wireless with 100 billion colored dye projector, pop-up speakers, speakers, which up to now were crystals. The colors appear when snoring sensors, iPod dock, feeble and erratic, have finally the printer applies heat pulses to automatic lighting system, and found their voice. The Griffin the paper. This ink-less breathing pattern monitor to a Evolve is a great example. It is a technology is called Zink, for General Motors Chevy Tahoe compact speaker system for an zero ink. The 2-inch-by-3-inch prototype car that drove itself. iPod. It has two wireless speaker prints cost about 30 cents each While I don't expect this GM cubes that can be placed in any and the printer sells for $150, prototype to make it to market room in the house. It sounds which is not bad for cutting-edge anytime soon, some of the great and is also easy to use. At technology. technology that it is built in will about $300, this is a great Although computers are not the evolve and is sure to find its way solution to distribute music from focus of the CES show, there into our future automobiles. your iPod throughout the house. were many computer We also found a few more down- While prices of technology manufacturers showing their to-earth gadgets and gizmos. In gadgets continue to drop, it wares. Lenovo, the Chinese fact, there were several devices seems that ink for that company who bought IBM's PC that you may want to check out for inexpensive ink jet printer often division three years ago has your own gaggle of high tech costs more than the printer itself. previously focused on their products. For instance, if you hate Well, thanks to Kodak, this trend ThinkPad business laptops, but cleaning the gutters, the iRobot may be coming to an end. The this year they introduced a line of Looj has you covered. This robotic new Kodak printers are said to consumer laptops called gutter cleaner cleans a 60-foot use 50% less ink and ink IdeaPads. These include facial section of gutter in just 10 cartridges are reasonably priced recognition technology. Lenovo, minutes. Yes, you must use a at $15 for color and $10 for Sony, and others will follow ladder to place it in position, but black. Dell's lead with the introduction you don't have to move the ladder multiple times as you do in regular Polaroid, another well-known gutter cleaning. The demos looked name in photography has also Continues on page 9…

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 8 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008

Look Ma… Continued om page 8 New Gadgets… Continued om page 8

"to", or "too." During setup the program asks you of laptops in a variety of bright colors. if they can look at the contents of documents on Bright colors were the norm at the show. There your hard drive to help you determine what word were MP3 players, cell phone, and gadget covers you used most often and in what context. This in every color imaginable. There were red and does help it guess which homonym you want. blue ladybug-shaped iPod speakers and speakers The final problem I wish to discuss is the editing that pulsated to the beat in vibrating, changing features. Whenever I create a text document I will colors. There was even pink CAT-5 networking want to fix mistakes. There are some commands cable, whose purchase supports the National in the software that will help fix mistakes, but Breast Cancer Foundation. they are limited and clumsy. Some of them will Oh, and you can expect to be even more confused even (in theory) help prevent mistakes by the by television display technologies in the future. voice recognition software in future. All that Sony's $2500, 11-inch Organic light Emitting being said, I find that editing documents using the Diode (OLED) was small but clearly better than voice recognition software is very frustrating. I anything else on the market today..... and it was always resort to using the arrow keys and the only as thick as 3 credit cards. Mitsubishi's laser mouse to navigate through the document. television was also a dramatic improvement. Vista speech recognition is a helpful tool when Samsung and Sharp announced backlit LCD transcribing printed text or when words have been televisions. While these technologies may take spoken into a tape recorder. However for initial awhile to go mainstream, other manufacturer's composition of documents or editing I do not find announced Internet-enabled televisions that are it useful. I do not believe that I could ever learn to sure to appear quite quickly. For instance, the use it as a complete 100% substitute for the Sharp Aquos Net television displays small icons keyboard and mouse. I would not consider it a called widgets that showed news, weather, and replacement if I was disabled. traffic data from the Internet right on the This article has been provided to APCUG by the author television screen. Also next year, when digital solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other television goes mainstream you will see digital uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail TV broadcasting in a variety of devices including address above). cell phones, cars, buses, and anything else they can possible think of. One car at the show already had TV's in every door and drop-down television screens for every passenger. This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 2 PAGE 9 Newsletter of the Hartford User Group Exchange February 17, 2008

Membership: Anyone may become a member. Dues are PULP Staff $12 per year and include a one-year subscription to The Interim Editor Pat Teevan Pulp as well as access to the HUGE Public Domain disk Distribution George Carbonell libraries and BBS. Meeting topics, times and places can be found on page 1 of this issue.

Officers & SIG Leaders President: ______George Carbonell 568–0492 [email protected] Vice President______Stuart Rabinowitz 633–9038 [email protected] Secretary: ______Ted Bade 643–0430 [email protected] Treasurer: ______Charles Gagliardi 233–0370 [email protected] Director at Large: __ Richard Sztaba [email protected] Web Manager: _____ Bob Bonato Membership: ______Richard Sztaba [email protected] Integrated SIG: ____ Stuart Rabinowitz 633–9038 [email protected] February 2008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 General Meeting 24 25 26 27 28 29 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8